Integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation objectives in British Columbia's forests

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XXV IUFRO World Congress Forest Research and Cooperation for Sustainable Development

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Integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation objectives in British Columbia’s forests

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Climate change mitigation and adaptation objectives have usually been treated separately in policies and interventions addressing climate change in the forests. +RZHYHULQFUHDVLQJH൵RUWVKDYHEHHQGLUHFWHGWRZDUGVWKHMRLQWFRQVLGHUDWLRQRIDGDSWDWLRQDQGPLWLJDWLRQREMHFWLYHVGXULQJWKHGHVLJQRIIRUHVWPDQDJHPHQW LQWHUYHQWLRQVDQGSROLF\1RWRQO\DUHERWKFOLPDWHREMHFWLYHVRIWHQFRPSDWLEOHEXWWKH\DOVRVRPHWLPHVGLVSOD\V\QHUJLHVVRWKDWWKHLUFRPELQHGH൵HFWLV JUHDWHUWKDQWKHVXPRIWKHLUH൵HFWVLILPSOHPHQWHGVHSDUDWHO\'HVSLWHWKLVSRWHQWLDOYHU\IHZLQWHJUDWLYHLQLWLDWLYHVKDYHEHHQDWWHPSWHGLQSUDFWLFH:HXVH the case of the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) to better understand the relationship between climate change adaptation and mitigation policy in WKHIRUHVWV'UDZLQJRQWKHUHYLHZRIH[LVWLQJIRUHVWPDQDJHPHQWSROLF\DQGDVXUYH\DQGVHPLVWUXFWXUHGLQWHUYLHZVZLWK%&JRYHUQPHQWR൶FLDOVZHDGGUHVV WZRPDMRUUHVHDUFKREMHFWLYHV7RZKDWH[WHQWGRFXUUHQWFOLPDWHDQGQRQFOLPDWH%&IRUHVWPDQDJHPHQWSROLFLHVH൵HFWLYHO\LQWHJUDWHDGDSWDWLRQDQG mitigation objectives? (2) What challenges and opportunities are associated with the joint consideration of both objectives when developing forest management interventions and policy? Our results highlight the potential positive and/or negative ecological (e.g., ecosystem resilience, biodiversity), economic (e.g., cost RUSUR¿WDELOLW\DQGVRFLDOHJH൵HFWRQOLYHOLKRRGRXWFRPHVRIFRQVLGHULQJERWKDGDSWDWLRQDQGPLWLJDWLRQREMHFWLYHVWRJHWKHUGXULQJWKHGHVLJQRIIRUHVW management interventions. We also provide policy insights into when and how to consider mitigation and adaptation together and to successfully mainstream both objectives into climate and non-climate forest management policies.

Mitigating climate change through Climate-Smart Forestry

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7RDFKLHYHWKHREMHFWLYHRIWKH3DULV&OLPDWH$JUHHPHQWDVLJQL¿FDQWUHGXFWLRQLQ&2₂ emissions is needed, as well as increased removals by carbon sinks. )RUHVWVSOD\DQLPSRUWDQWUROHLQWKHGLVFXVVLRQKRZWRPHHWWKLVREMHFWLYH6WRULQJFDUERQLQIRUHVWHFRV\VWHPVSURYLGHVPDLQO\EHQH¿WVGXULQJWKHQH[WIHZ decades, but such a strategy is not free of risks. Many existing climate impact studies suggest an increasing risk from natural disturbances and accumulating more biomass in forests in high risk conditions may exacerbate the impact of future natural disturbances. A long-term, successful mitigation strategy must therefore consider adequate adaptation measures to ensure the resilience of forest resources in the future. A mitigation strategy that only emphasizes storing carbon in forest ecosystems also disregards the urgent need to decarbonize the global economy. In this presentation, we argue that a regionally-tailored Climate-Smart Forestry approach is needed to (a) increase the total forest area and avoid deforestation, (b) connect mitigation with adaption measures to enhance the resilience of global forest resources, and (c) produce wood-based products that store carbon and substitute emission-intensive fossil and non-renewable products DQGPDWHULDOV:HSURYLGHH[DPSOHVRIPHDVXUHVUHODWHGWRHDFKRIWKHWKUHHLVVXHV7KHFKDOOHQJHIRUIRUHVWPDQDJHPHQWZLOOEHWR¿QGWKHULJKWEDODQFH between short and long-term goals as well as between the need for wood production and other important ecosystem services. Such optimal balance may vary from country to country and region to region.

B8a: FOREST ADAPTATION AND RESTORATION UNDER GLOBAL CHANGE

Implementing forest landscape restoration under the Bonn Challenge

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The Bonn Challenge sets a goal for societies globally to restore 350 million hectares of forested landscapes by 2030. The Bonn Challenge is not a new commitment but rather a practical means of realizing many existing international commitments. Underlying the Bonn Challenge is forest landscape restoration (FLR), which aims to restore ecological integrity at the same time as improving human well-being through multi-functional landscapes. Translating the high level of political enthusiasm into real accomplishments requires a long-term commitment. Successful FLR is based on the premise that healthy landscapes provide a GLYHUVLW\RIORQJWHUPEHQH¿WVWKDWFDQRQO\EHVXVWDLQDEO\PDQDJHGE\DQGIRUORFDOSRSXODWLRQV3DVWH[SHULHQFHZLWKEURDGVFDOHUHVWRUDWLRQKDVVKRZQWKH LPSRUWDQFHRIGH¿QLQJDQGUHFRQFLOLQJPXOWLSOHREMHFWLYHVDSURFHVVWKDWEHJLQVZLWKZHOOGH¿QHGJRDOVDQGSURFHHGVWKURXJKLPSOHPHQWDWLRQPRQLWRULQJ DQGDGDSWLYHPDQDJHPHQW)/5UHFRJQL]HVWKHQHHGIRUORFDODQGDGDSWLYHRSWLRQVDQGDYRLGVWKH³RQHVL]H¿WVDOO´PRGHO7KHHPSKDVLVRQUHVWRULQJPRVDLF landscapes requires integration of various land uses such as forestry (including timber plantations), agroforestry, agriculture, wildlife; biodiversity conservation; DQGLQIUDVWUXFWXUHURDGVDQGVHWWOHPHQWV$OWKRXJK)/5IDYRUVKLVWRULF¿GHOLW\QDWLYHVSHFLHVDQGVWURQJO\DGYLVHVDJDLQVWFRQYHUWLQJHYHQGHJUDGHGQDWLYH forests to exotic plantations, the challenges imposed by climate change may in some circumstances also require adaptation to novel conditions. Implementing FLR requires detailed planning for what will be done, where, when, by whom, and at what cost. Included in the planning should be long-term monitoring and data archiving as well as on-going sustainable management.